Apparatus for smelting ores.



J. W. NBSMTH, DEGD.

H. M. oRAHooD, EXBCUTOR. APPARATUS FOR SMELTNG ORE APPLIGATIGN FILED 00T. 26

' Patented June 13, 1911.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR.' desea/sed,

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WTNESSES:

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A TTORNEYAS.

' vthe invention. Fig'. 2 is a plan View partly l llllil tra JOHN W. NESMITH, DECEASED, LATE GF DENVER, GOLORAQ, BY HARPER M. ORAHODD, EXECUTOR, GF DENVER, CGIJORADC. ASSGNOR TO COLORADO IRON `GRKS COM PANY, OF DENVER, CGLORADO, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

AEPIARATUS FOB. SMELTENG GRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pa tented June i3, lg3d.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be itdrnown that JOHN lV. NnsMrrH, def ceased; late a. citizen lof the United States, and resident of Deliver, Colorado, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Smelting; Orcs, of which the following a specification.

This invention relates to a method of smelting ores in what is designated a hydrocarbon blast furnace having one or more external or auxiliary combustion chambers permanently or removably attached thereto and made a part thereof, wherein hydrocarbon or other fluid or pulverized solid fuel isI burned for the production of smelling heat, and this heat is projected or introduced by convection into the blast furnace' and into contact with the ores charged therein.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section through a form of furnace adapted to carry out the process of in section of a modification., and lig. 3 is an elevation partly in section of the saine.

In these liguresfan ordinary furnace stack is shown at A provided with a bustle pipe K, and an air supply pipe Gr. llvlhile it is preferred to use in carrying out the invention a vertical stach of the general type shown, the invention is not limited in. this connection.

It will beobserved that the combustion chambcrindicated at C is relatively largeE and this has been found to be necessary for the successful carrying out of the process involved. The. best results are secured by the use-of a chamber having` a vohnne of space notless than cubic feet for each pound of ':o'mlnistible burned per minute. Ore is charged into the top of the stach and the base of the column fills the opening l) leading to the co1nlai. 'nl chamber, the takingthe natural slope of suc loose material, usually of about 4.50. as shown approxi mately by the dotted line 'a2-ey. Combustion suliiciently intense for the ourpose of smelling orcs is maintained in the combustion chamber C, the heat-ed gases passing out. through the ore body which they enter along the surface of the slope and thence to escape through the blast furnace stack A,

Aplace the oxidationlblast may be added a point Where it does not interfere with inc heating the body of ore rst along the surface of its slope af-y, where it begins first to fuse or melt, and7 as it softens its natural slope becomes flatter toward its lower end, or, say 30 degrees, as represented by the curved line ,ca -y, and when fully molten or fluid at the lower extreme, will seek a level on the hearth of the combustion chamber C in any lspace not occupied by the solid or semi-molten material, and may be tapped olf from the combustion chamber C at l?. In the meantime, fresh ore partly fused is constantly entering from the stack A, and so maintains a slope of some surface outline. on which the heat of combustion radiates and through which the heated gases pass on and out through the ore.

4lt will be observed that the twyers are located below the line of Ithe top of the combastion chamber C for t-he reason that it has been found in practice that. when located above the arch forming the passage D a smelting Zone is formed secondary to that maintained through the heated products of combustion at the entrance D to the. co1nbustion chamber, the result being to liquate out the more fusible constituents which flew away and leavea. skeleton hanging in the shaft thus obstructing or terminati the suielting operation. By locating` the twyers near the hearth where `the smeltinn taires smeiting action. This is rendered `possible of course, by the that the fuel is burned in the combustion chamber aparg. from the ore.

in order to prevent the b arming;A out of the arch at the point ufhere the ore begins to slope and enter the combustor; chamber a water )ipe l is located at this, point. found desirable, the' combustion chamber may be water jaclieted.

The blast furnace stach; is not absolutely necessary for "lf application of this method to the ,sine ng of son/ie kinds of ores. Some other eind of appliance suitable proportion for charging they ores into and properly cornice-tin?)cr with the combustion chamber C would answer such purf pose, but haring twyers near the hearth through which an air blast may be blown adapts the blast furnace to preparing certain ores, such as heavy siiltids for this' method, by oxidizing or burning off a part ot their sulfur content, and hence to the blast furnace construction is given the preference'ior the application of this method.

It has'been found in practice in the smelting of ores of gold7 silver, lead and copper, by the hydrocarbon system, Where the heat generated in the combustivon'chamber is caused to pass' into the blast furnace,- vand in direct contact with the body of ore', that masses of ore become semifused, but not sut-- iciently fused or fluid to tap otll as slag and matte-that is to' say, not sufliciently liuid or molten Athin enough whereby they properly separate. To overcome this' ditliculty prior to tapping, and to prevent the clogging of the taps, the method has been adopted as described otl allowing the ore,

in a semi'tused or thickly molten condition,

lo run or flow into the opening D formed by the junction of the combustion chamber with the blast furnace to preseht there a .sloping surface whereby the semifused ore is exposed to the direct heat generated with` `in the combustion chamber, and is thereby caused to Ilow `downwardly in the combustion. cluunber, being constantly exposed to the heat 2generated therein. The surface continuously melts olil to thinner and thinner consistency as it becomes sufficiently heated, and in the finally smelted and fluid condition necessary or desirabie finds` its level on the hearth of the combustion chamber, thence to be tapped oit. lt has. been found, however, in practice that it is absoh'ltcly necessary to tap the fused product at a point which must be removed a considerable distance from the base ot' the slope of the ore jcolumn, as otherwise the tap Willinl`|reyitablybev clogged and to this end it will be observed that an elongated combustwn.

chal-uber is used and the tap for the slag and matte is removed trom the entrance l) a (,list-ancewhlch will absolutely precludeany 'clogging or choking of the outlet by the viscous or semi-Huid mass.

Fig. 2, 1s a plan and elevatlon, partlyin section, showing a furnace having a pluralily of combustion chambers, and illustrating how, 1n a furnace adapted to carry out this substantially method, the combustion chambersimaybe4 made removable.l

.f The reference letters deslgnate ,sp'onding parts in both drawings.

L represents an oil or other burner of any suitable' construction, e being the controlling valve.

H represents the inlet of the mainblast which 'passes through the passage above the combustion chamber and through the inlet shown in the front of the combustion cham- What is claimed is: v

l. A furnace comprising a stack.,` a combustion chamber extending horizontally from the base ofthe stack and incommumcorre-` cation therewith, means for supplying aA blast to thc stack,.means for Supplying fuelto said combustion chamber under pressure and a tap opening in the combustion cham-l berremoved from the position of the baseV or slope ot' the ore column, substantiallyas described. f

2. Aturnace comprising a stack, an elongated' combustion chamber extending horizontally from the base of the stack and in communication therewith, means for supplying a blast to the stack, means for supplying'frxel to said combustion chamber andl la tapopenmg 1n the combustlon chamber in.

tion ot the base or' slope of the ore column,

as described. HARPER M.' ORAHOOD,

t'wecuto-r of the last will and testament of i J or/L' W. Naam/ith., deceased. Witnesses:

HARRY M. R-onsonmiui,

Il. l.l LownnN.

chamber extending. horizontally column, subl fto the base of theore column in the stack near the hearth, and a tap openmg 1n the combustlon chamber .removed fromthe posi-'p 

